


Fields of Infernal Flowers

by randomananas



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Schönberg/Boublil, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, Angst, Dubious Consent, Greek Gods AU, Hades and Persephone AU, Hades!Montparnasse, Jehan!Persephone, M/M, The Rape of Persephone
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-07
Updated: 2013-11-04
Packaged: 2017-12-14 05:46:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/833443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomananas/pseuds/randomananas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Greek Gods AU. Jean Prouvaire is Persephone, the beautiful god of spring and flowers, whose beauty could shake the Earth. Montparnasse is Hades, the dark, powerful god of Dead and King of Underworld, king of the Darkness. But, when Love slips into the darkness of the Underworld, the darkness floods the Realm of Gods and the Earth itself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hades

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic I've written in English, I do really hope you would like it! A huge kiss and hug to the love of my life and beta reader of the fic, benshaws (either on AO3 and tumblr).  
> Let me warn you, please: the fic is about, as you would have noticed, the greek myth of the Rape of Persephone but I've slightly changed the myth in few points, so, please, don't tell me "hey, but the myth is different!" because I know, it's a decision of mine to change the myth.  
> Now, below the list of the characters and which gods are they.  
> Based on the following [graphics](http://drunkpylades.tumblr.com/tagged/LMGGA)  
> Hades – Montparnasse  
> Persephone – Jean ‘Jehan’ Prouvaire  
> Demeter - Fantine  
> Eris – Eponine  
> Hermes – Courfeyrac  
> Zeus – Javert  
> Ganymede – Gavroche  
> Eros – Marius  
> Dionysus – Grantaire  
> Aphrodite – Cosette

Eponine stared intensely in the direction of Montparnasse, with a pleased sort of smirk. She could only just smell it, like the scent of a newly blossomed flower: the scent of something coming. Something that could only bring chaos and disorder, something Eponine, usually named Eris, the goddess of Discord, by the humans, couldn’t wait for it. But she had to do something; she knew she had to push to make the calm fall into the abyss. 

Apparently the most powerful force in the world, the power that was made to bring life and joy in the world, had found a little place even there! Even in the Underworld! 

Hades was definitely, absolutely, in love.

Eponine remembered very well when Aphrodite made Paris fall in love because of her golden apple. Back in the golden age, when everything went as she wanted it, just with a little, simple apple. 

“Hades, you look… troubled," Eponine said, trying the word contemplatively on her tongue, as though it had just been peeled from the roof of her mouth. "May I be of assistance?” She asked, baring too many teeth in the wicked turn of her smile. 

She was sat near Montparnasse, otherwise known as the king of Underworld, the god of Death. Occasionally, he would be declared by his true name, as Hades, yet only by those brave ones who dared to loudly say his name and stared at him with huge, hungry eyes. 

“I definitely do not need of _your_ assistance, Eris, you can be sure of that," Montaparnasse told her with a pointed glare over mountains of papers, just waiting for a landslide. "Now, leave. I’m busy and Zeus wants that bloody monthly revision for the next meeting. He never cared about dead people before and now he turns that idea on it's head and asks for the impossible!" Montparnasse compiled the long papyrus furiously, scrabbling around for his notes and erasing all and any mistakes with barely shaking fingers. 

Eponine watched him press his index and forefinger to his temple for a moments pause. "I will never understand my brother," He muttered, if only for himself, while he looked irritably at the fray.

It was true; Hades was not in good mood. Anyone, in Eris’ shoes at that moment, would retreat from her position and wait for a better moment but not Eponine, not her. Montparnasse would talk better under pressure. At least, she would make it so.

“I keep telling you that you look troubled. Something tells me that you are not angry with your brother. Rather, you are nervous - about something else." She directed him with a look. "Someone else, I suppose?” 

Montparnasse didn’t reply, seemingly trying to ignore the tedious Eris’ babbling. Yet, she withstood. 

“You can ignore me as much as you want, but I know there is something. Why don’t you just tell me what makes your pretty dark face so grumpy?" She paused, and clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Well, grumpier than usual." 

"Your friend Eris is here at your service!” Eris continued, smiling hugely, gratified at the speech. She at least appeared more likeable than usual, a great success in her book. Montparnasse, however, did not share the same opinion: he just looked up at her, dramatically raised an eyebrow and levelled her with a stare, his expression showing his total disagreement. 

“There are a lot of things I find completely wrong with your talk and the term _friend_ -" He paused at the word, mouth contorting briefly, as though he had swallowed something sour, "-is one of them. We are not friends, you merely concede to make my life more problematic." 

"Ares and yourself keep starting war after war and I have to deal with the death you've caused between you. After your Trojan disaster, I had to create the Asphodelian Meadows and the Isles of Blessed for all the souls you packed off here!” He pointed to her, with barely contained rage. A vein on his neck pulsed and his knuckles ghosted white as he lowered his hands into fists. 

Hades never liked that war. Well, he never liked any kind of war - too many dead people to deal with. 

Eponine rolled her eyes up to the ceiling with a huff.

“You are such a drama queen, Parnasse.”

“Call me Parnasse again and I’ll summon the Erinnyes.”

“Drama queen," She repeated, with a smirk teasing on her lips. "And please, call them, I’m bored to death.”

“Interesting choice of words. Please, die, so I will find a good way to make your soul pay for all the work you bloody give me.”

Eponine barked out a laugh. “Funny and hot. How can the god of the Dead be such a hot guy? Where did you sign up for that?” Eponine leaned forward and grinned. She was amused, and the expression on her face particularly broadcast this. Montparnasse looked particularly unimpressed and exasperated at her attitude.

“I’m going to kick you away if you don’t stop it.” Montparnasse replied sharply, fingers curling around the edge of his precious papyrus. Eris had always been a difficult person to have something to do with, but right now, she was becoming unbearable.

Eponine sneered, with arrogance. “Make me.”

“No, thank you.” 

“Such a pity. Now, you've interrupted me enough, it is time you tell me what’s going on." Montparnasse let out an incredulous huff, which she ignored.

"I have seen you lately, you are nervous, especially when a meeting is approaching. So, I thought: might Montparnasse be troubled because of something happening during the meetings?" Eponine paused, to gauge his expression but it was as marble as the human's statues of the Gods they so loved to erect. After a low hum, she continued. "But nothing ever changes, except… someone. Someone /changed/. A beautiful flourish god with long braided blond hair and bright green eyes who started to attend the meetings with his mother Demete—“

“ **Enough.** ” Montparnasse stood up, his eyes fixed on her, hard, adamant and a little wild. He moved away from his papers to approach her, as though he were trying to be menacing. Cute. Eponine just lifted her chin, and flashed her teeth at him, so very sweetly. 

“Don’t enough me, Montparnasse," Eponine told him, holding his gaze with a sneering, calculated look. "I know the truth. I know that Marius, the sweet god of love, paid you a visit without you realising it and now you can’t stop thinking about Persephone.” 

“You are trespassing a dangerous line, Eris. Stop it, now.” Was that anger, or panic she heard in the god's dulcet tones? She couldn't quite tell.

“Ha-ha," Eponine returned, each 'Ha' dropped like a dead weight. "I’m not afraid of you. I told you, I want to help you. I’m here for you.”

“I don’t want or need any kind of help, especially from you. You would only wreck havoc,” Montparnasse said with a familiar finality. That was the last warning, Eris knew it. But knowing and caring were different things, and she did not care: she had won the battle and they both were aware of it. Now, it was all about starting the war.

“Are you afraid of being rejected?" She continued. 

"I understand it, you are not the type of…" Eponine tried a word. "Husband someone would marry… Especially someone like our little Jehan, the pretty god of flowers. And don’t forget his mother, Demeter… I’m not sure she would be in favor of a possible marriage between you and her son, but…” She trailed off. 

Montparnasse ran his fingers through his hair, closing his eyes and letting Eponine’s words take the effect she craved. He was acutely aware of every word she said, dipped in mocking, in sarcasm, in poison. Oh, how he was conscious. The words itched under his skin.

Had he not wandered day and night, like a restless Cerberus, looking for a solution for his umpteenth existential dilemma to no avail? Eventually he had just surrendered to the weight he carried over his shoulder, and in turn had decided to give up and curse with all his strength Marius and his arrows of love. So much so that Marius had been unexpectedly sick for several days. At that point, tired of fighting, Hades had merely sat on his throne and uttered the following words: “Jehan... Why...”, his face bathed in sweat and the black eyes wide with astonishment. 

Yet, Montparnasse had no intention of giving up altogether. Until the last he would have kept his composure, struggled to suppress his feelings towards the pure god of spring, whose eyes, brimming (practically weeping) with joy, for joy, at joy, could shake the very foundations of the Earth. He was aware of the behaviour of his brother and most of his nephews about the matters of love. They just needed to find a gentle mortal of gracious appearance to completely lose their decorum and tear themselves, like animals, towards their prey, and then leave there the fruit of their moment of passion. Hades had never had such intentions, he had always been underground, concentrated on his work, on his kingdom and bluntly ignored the outer world and its temptations. He would have remained there where he belonged. If not for...

“Don’t worry, Parnasse. Because I know how to help you.”

The power of love could be marvellous and dangerous at the same time. Those few words by Eponine were sufficient and all his beliefs, his work, his control crumbled into pieces. And Montparnasse could only reply: “ **I'm listening.** ”

“You have a pleasant wife, despite that you do not share anything but blood with her. Now I don’t understand why you are so reluctant to grant your older brother the same pleasure. I know he is your son and my nephew but I would treat him with all the respect he deserves and all my love, even if you find it quite hard to believe. Anyhow, I would love him more than your love for our own sister…”.

The lightning dashed the skies when Javert stared angrily to Montparnasse. The sound of thunder cracked like a whip, like bones under hands. “Watch your language, brother. I don’t accept any kind of disrespect to myself, the King of Gods, _your_ King.” 

Montparnasse smirked slightly, sliding his fingers through his hair. “I apologise, Zeus. I didn’t mean it.”

“I know you meant, Hades, you always do. I made you King of the Underworld and sometimes I remember why I decided to.” 

Montparnasse didn’t reply, just locked his jaw slightly. Zeus always used to remind him why he decided to put him underground, in the dark, watching out over a completely messed-up world, full of confused lost souls. Sometimes he wondered if Zeus had just wanted to put him aside, to avoid dealing with an older brother and a possible contender for the position of King of the Gods. Because, of course, Hades was interested in dealing with a bunch of fools who spent nights and days arguing about everything. The Underworld wasn’t anything great, but it was a quiet place and Montparnasse had no intention to leave it –except for the most extraordinary of occasions-.

Javert, the impotent king of Gods and god of Justice, the mighty Zeus, walked around the long table in the main hall of Olympus, tapping the fingers, thoughtfully. Zeus was tall and authoritative, the strong torso of the God of Lightning wrapped by the white chiton, letting the fabric slide along the marble floor. Montparnasse followed his moves with the eyes, in total silence and waited for him to elaborate on the news.

“So, you want my son as consort. Mine and our sister’s. You could take whoever you want, why Jehan? Why him?” 

“This is not your concern.”

“This is my concern, he is still my son and Demeter would never accept it. You are going to start a war, are you aware of it?” Javert looked into his eyes, inspecting for some form of hesitation, for some clue that could make him understand the reason for such a decision. Yet Montparnasse was impassive, no emotion could touch his marble face. His eyes were a dangerous deep pit to get lost in, a pit that Zeus himself dared to fear. Death had found a residency there long ago and had remained his solemn companion, in the blacks of his irises.

“I’m well aware.” Montparnasse replied, offhandedly.

“Yet you are decided to give troubles to all of us? I might suspect you are acting selfish, even for you, brother.” 

“So the mighty Zeus says.” The slight sarcasm of the king of Underworld was so rare yet so nipping that Zeus couldn’t resist but rolled his eyes, annoyed. 

“Fine. I don’t care about you and our sister. You are obviously not going to listen, and Demeter will make a lot of trouble regardless. You are obviously aware but do not care about your actions. Why would you care, you are the God of Dead, your concern doesn’t belong here." His voice was cruel and cold. He looked down on Montparnasse with an exasperated expression.

"You just want someone to bed, isn’t that right? Fine. Do whatever you wish, wed and bed whomever you desire. Take the consort you wish. **Take Persephone.** ”


	2. Persephone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm deeply sorry for the delay ;__; i've been very busy lately but i'm trying to be as quick as possible! probably tonight later or tomorrow you will get the third chapter too, to make it up :3 enjoy it! and if you have questions, stuff or other, my tumblr is fastingorestes

In the northwest of Magna Greacia, there was a huge field that every morning bloomed magnificently. Flowers of every colour blossomed, releasing all their intense scent, every animal rising from their dens and greeted the coming of Helios, the god of the Sun. Life itself began in that field, which seemed blessed by the gods. And a god in particular used to spend time in that field of thousands of colours. 

Jehan, or how he was worshiped by humans, Persephone, was the god of flowers; but to define a creature such as Jehan simply as god of flowers is restrictive. Jehan was the god of life. The god who every morning brought life, light and hope. The flowers bloomed but life itself blossomed. The field was blessed by Persephone’s presence, who brought life and joy, playing cheerfully with all the nymphs who just wanted to entertain and keep company to the young and beautiful god. 

Most of the time, Jehan preferred solitude and quiet: he used to sit in the very center of the field, bare feet touching the fresh ground between the toes, arms wide open to embrace, to absorb, to live within and surrounded by Nature.  
In those moments, Jehan could feel the movement of every blooming flower, the scent that each of them radiated, he could hear every bee laboriously trying to bring pollen to her sisters. 

His mother, the wise and fruitful Fantine, goddess of the harvest and fertility of the earth and usually named Demeter, had always prevented Persephone to get closer to other gods for fear that they could take advantage of her son because of his beauty and innocence. They both knew that was not so: Jehan was simply not accustomed to live according to the habits of other deities. He loved humans, he loved humanity and he loved the life of humans, so much that Persephone was often seen as a human, rather than a deity.  
Yet Jehan was, at the same time, a delicate and wild creature, fruit of Nature that, as such, had two faces: the face of the beauty and the force of the life, untamed and free. He was Nature. He was _**Life**_.

“Jehan! I’ve found you finally!” a light cheerful male voice and the sound of little flapping wings awoke Jehan from his long meditation. The god of flowers looked up to Coufeyrac, his friend and messenger god, smiling gaily.  
“Hermes, long time no see. How did you find me? I personally asked to all the nymphs to stay silent about my new garden.” Courfeyrac smirked pleasant, flopping next to his friend, leaving the caduce on the grass and taking off his own winged sandal. “Oh, gods blessing. I needed some rest, Javert keeps sending me everywhwere!”  
“You are the messenger god, ‘Feyrac, it’s your duty.” Jehan replied, smiling. “Anyway, what brings you here?”  
“May I not come without any purpose? Just the pleasure of your company?”  
“That might be your pleasure, but you are working and you wouldn’t come and visit me if not for any other aim. Tell me, what’s happening?”  
Courfeyrac bobbed his head, looking at the sky, meditative. Hermes was, actually, a pleasant man, high cheekbones, sharp features but gentle, dark curly hair and bright blue eyes.  
“I smell something upstairs that I don’t like. I don’t know, I don’t trust the Big Three. Especially that grumpy dark one. Every time I descend in the Underworld, Hades acts weird and that harpy Eponine smiles. She smiles too much. Something is coming, _something bad_.”  
Jehan stared at him, silently and worried, unsure about talking about his _own_ problems. Maybe there were anything special, just some stupid sensations, as his mother said many times. But Jehan shared Courfeyrac’s own concerns.  
“I think someone is spying on me.” Jehan burst out all of sudden, looking at Jehan almost frightened. Courfeyrac turned his head, widened eyes and confused. “What do you mean… Spying on you?”  
“I had to leave the garden in Campania because I was sure someone was there, looking at me. Someone I couldn’t see… I had the strange feeling, the sensation someone was staring at me. I was scared, the nymphs were worried to death. I have spoken with my mother about my concerns but she assured me the garden was protected and no one could come and bother me. At the beginning, I truly believed that, I know it was just fruit of my imagination, but then… I saw the nymphs’s eyes. I _saw_ them and I saw the fear on their eyes. They didn’t tell me anything but I was certain they knew something was there, something which scared them so much they couldn’t even speak about it. I’ve decided to leave that same day and I found this place in Sicily. But now I’m worried because if you found me… Even _that_ would find me.” Courfeyrac looked at his friend stunned, without knowing how to reply or how to comfort him, he just hugged Jehan tightly, stroking his long braided blond hair, confused and troubled as much as Jehan. Maybe they were right, maybe something dangerous were going to happen. “I’ll talk about that with Grantaire and the others, I’m sure we’ll sort it out!” The true blessing of Courfeyras was hope: he was incredibly hopeful, conscious that he would have been able to help all his friends, whatever the matters. That made Jehan smile for the first time after a long time of pain and worries. “Thank you, Courfeyrac, I trust you.” Courfeyrac smiled confidently and put his sandals on again. “Your trust is well placed! Now I must leave, flower boy, goodbye!” and how he appeared, so he left.  
“I hope so, Courf, I hope so…”

###### 

Fantine could feel it, she could see the tension in the air. That day the Big Three, as they were called - Javert, Montparnasse and Valjean - had gathered for a new meeting. Demeter and Hera were always left out of these meetings, anxiously waiting outside the throne room of Olympus. Hera was nervously walking long the reception hall: she wore a too long and too fancy golden chiton, her long blond hair beautifully adorned with pliers and gold accessories, jewelry around her neck and bracelets. Fantine often wondered how her sister could be patroness of childbirth and marriage and not of vanity, so great was the display of herself that every time the poor Demeter had to endure.

“Hera, can you calm yourself, please? You are making me nervous!” Fantine begged exasperated, looking up to her sister and Queen. Hera ignored the younger sister and mumbled on her own, walking slowly and biting nervously a nail. She huffed annoyed and finally sat next Demeter.  
“I never understand why they always lock us up here! They don’t know I have better business?? I can’t stay here forever! They call us for an urgent meeting and then they make us wait like stupid mortals! How dare they?” Fantine rolled her eyes, mentally asking which kind of Fate brought her that kind of sister.  
“You need to have patience, sister. You should think like wheat plant, which slowly is born and—“  
“Oh for everything that is good and just, I beg you to stop it! Do I look like someone who cares how a wheat plant is born?” Hera stared at Fantine impatiently and tiredly. Fantine blinked for a few moments, her lips disclosed and about to keep going her own conversation. “Oh, please, don’t! I’m leaving! If my husband has the decency to show himself, tell him I’m busy!” Hera stood up and like a lightning left the hall, leaving Fantine on her own. The goddess of harvest left a sigh of relief, running the fingers throught her long brown hair, in silence. Hera was not the kind of woman who mind to be interrupted in her domestical matterns for more practical business such as the meeting of the gods; that thought made her smile for a moment, closing her eyes and letting the mind run throught her memory, when they were young and powerful gods, when the Titans threatened the life of the Universe, when… Her mind spared her to reach those memories, the most painful ones. “I should put aside such thoughts, they are dangerous and inappropriate. The ‘afterstate’ of what their father Cronus did was a still open wound in her life. 

The door opened slowly and Jean Valjean was the first who got out the throne room, the mighty king of the seas, known as Poseidon, hastened himself to leave the room, a not delighted at all expression crossed his face like a scar. The meeting had not gone well. Fantine immediately stood up, smiling to the brother who almost ignored her completely and reached towards the exit, deep in his thoughts; the goddess took that action for a bad sign and waited for Zeus and Hades to come out, but they seemed to have stopped themselves to talk on their own. Demeter approached to the door, observing Montparnasse and Javert in earnest intense conversation in a low voice, but unable to catch on the topic they were discussing. When Montparnasse saw her at the door, he stopped himself immediately, glancing to the king of the gods. Zeus nodded and waved Hades to take leave. Montparnasse nodded, according to the customs of respect and gave the back to Javert, moving away: he was always so unusual for Fantine to have to deal and see such a show of rigidity, of costumes, of decency between blood brothers.

“ _Demeter_ …” Montparnasse began, approaching slowly to Fantine. The goddess stared to her brother, perplexed and worried by their uncommon behaviour. “Hades.” Fantine replied simply. Hades came up with a wave of his hand and asked her to follow him, walking towards the inner gardens of the palace. Fantine stood there, without following him, and crossed the arms over her chest, uncomfortable and without looking away from the figure of Hades.  
“Brother, you are not that kind of person who cordially invites someone to walk and talk like close friend. A behaviour like that might expect it from Hera, with her false mannerism and politeness. But definetely not from you. Why don’t you just tell me what is the matter? Don’t take me for a fool, but you called us for something… So now I’d like to be informed about the concern you were discussing so animatedly.” Montparnasse, in a very unexpected turn of situation, laughed, pleased with Fantine’s words, sliding the hand through his black mess of hair. “Yes, I suppose my approach was not my normal behavior. I do apologize.”  
“You apologizing, and you _laughing_ is a lot of strange, Hades. I was puzzled, now I’m worried. What’s happening?” Fantine interrupted him.  
“There is no reason to be worried, Fantine…” Montparnasse observed for a moment, dropping his words and stroking his lower lip slightly with his thumb, thoughful. “Jehan is your son, isn’t it?” he asked all of sudden, a serious expression on his pale face.  
 _That_ was enough. Fantine reddened furiously and even more worried, stepping towards him and facing the king of Dead. “Is that about my son? I have already explained to all you… You have to stay **away** from my son! Zeus wants him to attend the meetings and I told him it wasn’t necessary!” Fantine was a mother fiercely protective and caring, she loved her son more than her own life and the thought that someone could harm him destroyed her. Rarely someone dared to ask her about her son, since immediately she started the attack against anyone who dared threaten him. Montparnasse had always been well aware of the excessive protectiveness that surrounded the figure of Persephone.  
“Fantine, calm yourself.” Montparnasse warned her seriously, his dark eyes staring at her. Fantine was not afraid of him, especially when she had to protect her child.  
“What do you want from Jehan?” Fantine continued with a more controlled voice, breathing and blinking slowly.  
Montparnasse looked at her for few moments, in silence, weighing his words in his own mind. _What did he want from Jehan?_ “Nothing. I don’t want anything from your son.” Montparnasse muttered, walking away in a hurry the reception hall and leaving Fantine, for the second time within an hour, confused and speechless.

###### 

Montparnasse got down the stairs in a rage, finding a quiet place in the shadow and the darkness and calming himself. That didn’t go well, at all. Fantine evocated a very powerful energy which protected Jehan in every moment, it was hard to approach to him.  
“Grumpy, any updates?” the noisy and unwelcome voice of Eponine creeped behind Montparnasse, maybe a failed attempt to scare him. Actual 5 years-old goddess of Chaos. Montparnasse turned slowly to her, rubbing his ghostly marble face tiredly and sighing deeply. “You were right, Jehan is protected by Demeter’s barrier. You can barely _think_ about him and Demeter is the first one who knows it. He is more unapproachable than the Olympus itself!”  
“Told you, Parnasse.” Eris smiled confident. She couldn’t believe that her idea was going as she had planned, Montparnasse was too much obsessed and he couldn’t get Eponine’s true intentions, that made her smile widely. “Did you really think that you could just approach Demeter and propose yourself for her son? You are the King of the Underworld, you should be a little cleverer.”  
“It means the Fate wants me to follow a different path. Maybe I’m not designed to take Persephone’s hand.” Montparnasse muttered again.  
“Oh for fuck’s sake, Montparnasse! The Fate, yes, makes and decides for our path… But the Fate needs a little help and we can give it one. Just… Think about _my_ plan”  
Montparnasse looked up to her for a long moment, his black eyes glowing dangerously in the shadow. “Which plan?” he asked, sounding almost hesitant. Eponine leaned towards him, grabbing his arm and whispering a few words, a wide grin spreading on her white face, the brownish hair sliding softly on her shoulder.  
“No. Not again with that foolishness! You are suggesting me to _abduct_ Persephone without his consent? It’s madness and we will bring us to war.”  
“ **And war will be**.”


	3. The Rape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here the third chapter as I promised! Don't worry about the name of it, no actual "rape"! Enjoy it!

It was a peaceful day. Every story needs to begin with a peaceful day, with a moment of quiet: every story needs to be unexpected and unpredictable.   
In any story ever told, the protagonist has to live a period of happiness, and he must live surrounded by affection and love, undisturbed. He has to believe his life is normal and nothing can disturb him. But here we are in the presence of the _gods_ , creatures who don’t live a normal life, creatures that are ready, at any moment, for war, or creatures who want war, and are just waiting for the right opportunity to begin it. Gods who accept the war as their friend, who know that the blood of the innocent souls will raise their glory. These are the Greek gods: greedy, liars, warmongers and blood-thirsty.

Eponine was one of them, maybe even being one of the worst. Creator of discord, guardian of the Chaos, bringer of conflicts. When the war started, you could always find her presence in a corner, grinning evily and satisfied. Every weapon was appropriate to bring disasters, even an apple.   
An apple had brought the war between the gods and the mortals, in this case just few advice and comfort to a lonely God who had just discovered what love was. Ares himself, the only God who had something to do with her, feared Eris, so much her power and genius. 

Eponine took another bite of the red apple, closing and savoring the sweet juice.   
"These apples are the pleasure of the senses..." she said to herself, walking along the edge of the woods, keeping a distance from the immense field of flowers in the middle. One step closer and the barrier of Demeter would betray her and the plan would fail.  
She wore a long black robe that enveloped her slender waist, brown hair sliding long her almost nude back, a dark veil on her head, barely covering her hair. Eris was, as she has always been described, a beautiful girl, feminine traits accompanied by the usual thinness and pallor of the people who used to live in the kingdom of the underworld. Her eyes, however, were ruthless, dark as night and filled with the blood of millions of innocent people killed in the wars sparked by her.  
She could feel the vibrant and lighthearted presence of the god of flowers inside the barrier, protected by his beloved mother.

"Now we have a little of fun..." Eris commented, slowly approaching the small procession of nymphs, as they usually came to bring flowers and offerings to the god. A final nymph up the rear, a lovely looking young nymph, was all flowing brown hair and a happy smile.   
Eponine wore the veil completely, partially covering her face and making it unrecognizable.  
"What a gracious vision for a suffering heart as mine is. Young nymph, come closer, please..." she called with a faking voice the young creature who turned around and noticed the disoriented girl dressed in black. She blinked confused and hesitant, but approaching slowly to her.  
"Who are you? This place is protected by the gods, you can’t come her…" the naiad scolded the woman in mourning, mistaking her for just a human. Meanwhile the sisters of the nymph had entered inside the barrier and they were at distance.  
"Oh young naiad, you're _completely_ wrong..." she smiled, showing the fierce look of the goddess of Chaos. The nymph had no time to scream but Eris covered her mouth and took her wrist forcefully, pushing her against a tree. The nymph screamed but the hand over her mouth deadened the scream and no one could hear her.  
"Now shut up, little fool, and listen to me. I can sense from your mind that you are tired of serving the gods, of playing with your sisters. Being a nymph is not a good life, I know... But I can help you. I can give you the power, I can give you control, I can give you the wit. I can fulfill your every desire of yours... I can give you the man you want."  
The last words caught the attention of the nymph, which seemed to calm down under the iron grip of Eris.  
"Well, young nymph, now I shall remove my hand from your mouth. If you dare to scream, I'll kill you." the nymph nodded and Eris slid her hand away from the soft lips of the naiad who remained silent.  
"The gods say we should not trust you." There were the first words the little bird uttered. Eponine smirked, stroking the nymph’s hair, just grinning amused.  
"The gods say so many things and yet they need me. They get bored and I give them a bit of fun. But I can give, above all, power and strength and I can make you the most envied of all the nymph. I know there is a man you want in your bed and I can bring him to you... "  
The nymph seemed to carefully consider her words: she was a never considered creature, a naiad from the river Cocytus, often brushed aside. Yet she only wanted the attention she deserved; Especially from who she craved.  
"What shall I do?" asked finally. Eponine smiled in satisfaction and took the sleeves of her black robe a large red apple, shiny and beautiful apple and handed it to the nymph, gently.   
"Give this fruit to Persephone and make sure he takes a bite. It will make him fall asleep for a few moments and weaken the barrier, so I can get in. When Jehan will be asleep, you and your sisters go away. No harm will come to you, your sister or Jehan.”   
The nymph took the apple in her hands, worried but she nodded.   
“I will do it, ma’am.”  
“You are a good nymph..” she waved her to take leave and the nymph bowed slightly, approaching to the barrier.  
“Wait!” Eponine called her for a moment. “You haven’t told me your name.”  
The nymph gulped and stayed silent for a moment, clutching nervously the apple.  
“ **Minthe**. My name is Minthe.”  
“Such a gracious name. Now go, little Minthe and do your duty. And remember, if you betray me, you will pay the consequences.”   
Minthe widened the eyes scared and nodded, turning away and running from the goddess of Chaos.  
“I have a lot of things for you, _little Minthe_ …”

###### 

Eponine yawned, bored, sitting at the foot of a large oak tree at the edge of the woods, playing with a lock of brown hair.  
"I hope that stupid nymph hasn’t betrayed me so early... I'm dying of boredom." she muttered, throwing her head against the trunk of the tree and grumbling bored.  
Suddenly there was a scream from the nymphs and the protection of the barrier suddenly collapsed.  
"Oh, finally!" Eponine lunged to her feet and ran toward the park, stretching the legs. The park was, as one might imagine, huge and beautiful, full of colors and scents.  
Eponine was honestly getting sick from too much happiness. In the middle of the field a huge tree stood, the only protection for the whole place and source for the barrier. Beneath it Jehan laid, blissfully asleep, the apple still in his hands. The nymphs were instead disappeared.  
"Very good…" she giggled, bending down and picking the apple from her hands, hiding it back into the sleeves of her robe. Eponine walked over to the big tree and she stroked the trunk with an amused smile.  
"Now I will make you hurt, my friend, but don’t worry, you will not suffer too much..." she whispered to the tree, humming. Eris took a small envelope attached to the belt of her robe and pulled out a few small twigs and leaves of black and pungent smell; she put the set of branches in her mouth and began to chew vigorously and then she spit the chewed stuff on her hand, walking back to the trunk and rubbing it like a cream along its surface. The magic tree immediately reacted to the presence of the poison, and soon it began to turn gray, while the barrier weakened more and more.  
The tree again reacted against the potion and a new barrier, more powerful than before, she rose.  
Eponine smiled in satisfaction.  
"And now let’s get the party started..."

###### 

Hades appeared at the side of Eponine in the woods, the face completely covered by black headscarf which concealed his features: Hades never went to Earth uncovered, if possible, he hid his face or made invisible. In this way he had been able to sneak up to watch Jehan, unseen, while playing in the garden with his nymphs in Campania. The helmet of invisibility helped him to conceal his presence and be able to enjoy the sight of the beloved without being disturbed.  
Yet his presence was too powerful and the nymphs began to notice something strange there, a creature which didn’t belong to that place and observed thme. That forced Jehan to leave and change place, now even protected by a barrier.  
Eponine turned slowly toward him, grinning happily.   
"My part of plan is complete. The barrier has been changed, now it works under my control, but Jehan and Fantine are completely unaware of that. You can get in whenever you want without being noticed by Demeter. Now he is alone, he woke up and still a little dazed from the fainting. "  
Those words made Montparnasse even more nervous: since when had he decided on relying on the words of a god so cruel and dangerous? Yet, as she had said, all’s fair in love and war.  
Montparnasse nodded slightly and approached to the barrier, passing it through, eyes closed: but anything happened. Might be that the path chosen by the Fate? He couldn’t believe it.  
“Now go, grumpy cat. Let’s begin this war together.”

###### 

Jehan rubbed his face tired and confused: his head ached and his stomach rumbled hungry, but no one was nearby – all the nymphs were gone. Perhaps he had simply fallen asleep and the nymphs had seen fit to let him rest. He stood up, leaning against the trunk of the great tree that protected him.  
"What..." Jehan touched more carefully towards the trunk, worried. The tree was cold, the trunk and branches had turned gray and the leaves had slowly lost their bright color.  
"What on earth... What happened?" he asked worriedly, taking a few steps back. Poisoned, the tree had been poisoned. But by whom?  
A cold breeze hit the back of Jehan which made him tremble and turned back, looking around. The garden was deserted, frighteningly desert. Persephone felt uncovered, unprotected.  
"I do not like this feeling..." he murmured, walking away from the tree and looking for some sign of life, an animal, even a simple bug. Everything was gone, only grass, flowers and wind. Jehan gulped and closed his eyes, trying to catch his breathe and to gain back his composure. That was nothing, just his imagination. His imagination. Nothing more. His imagination, nothing more.  
“Yes, just my imagination… I’m fine, there is nothing..” he kept whispering, clutching his fists painfully tight. Another breeze, more violent than before, hit his back again, letting his long blond hair flowing in the air.  
He opened slowly his eyes, looking down and the he saw it: a long shadow had appeared almost at his feet; someone was standing in front of him. Jehan didn’t dare to look up. 

“Just the fruit of my imagination… I don’t have to be scared…” he whispered to himself, his eyes filling with tears. Jehan slowly looked up, leaving lay his eyes on the figure. A tall figure, probably male, covered by a long black tunic and a dark veil that hid the entire face: a ghost past, definitely. Jehan took a few steps back, completely transfixed by the demonic figure in front of him. He swallowed one last time and took courage, turning around and running in the opposite direction. The figure appeared again in front of his path, as if it had materialized in front of him.  
"No. .. No, please, leave me alone.." he muttered now in tears, turning again. The same figure was everywhere Jehan turned to, numerous replicas of the evil ghost which haunted him.  
"Please, please, please! You're just the result of my imagination, go away! I'm dreaming! Please, Morpheus, wake me, I beg you!" he burst into tears, trying to run away.  
He ran fast as he could, eyes closed, until he crashed into a massive figure. He jumped back and opened his frightened eye: the figure was motionless and silent a few inches from him. Persephone could see through the black veil the sharps of a male face and two deep pools of darkness instead of eyes. That figure, that scaring, cold, suffocating feeling of death awoke him from the moment of confusion.  
"Hades..." Persephone whispered as if a curse had dropped out of Jehan forever. His mother always told him how his brother Hades was a dangerous god which he had better stay away from. The discovery frightened him more than anything else.  
He turned back, trying to escape, but a strong arm wrapped tightly around his waist caught him, like an invisible chain trapping him forever. He felt the earth shaking beneath his feet and his istinct brought him to reach for the sun, the air, the light, the life. A hand pushed against Hades’ face and the other arm reaching for the sun, screaming.  
A scream everyone in the world sweared they had been able to hear.  
 _ **"Mother!!"**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few suggestions :))  
> Minthe is an actual character from mythology connected to Hades and Persephone and I will likely write a bonus chapter about her. It will be a very interesting bonus chapter... So! If you don't want any kind of "spoilers", I suggest you to avoid googling and looking for who actually is Minthe! See you soon!


	4. Demeter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are with a new chapter, this time it is unbeta'd, i'm deeply sorry for any kind of grammar error you might find. I tried as much as could to correct it on my own!  
> It's a little chapter but the next one will be longer, I promise :3

Demeter was leading the procession of maidens in prayer through the fields, marching slowly and singing the hymn to the earth.  
“I bless you, generous soil with the fruit of life and nature, I bless you, loving field with the gift of a prosperous harvest, I bless you, caring earth with grain, cereals and wheat..”  
The maidens, processioning and singing, thanked the benevolence of Demeter, the protector of the harvest, welcoming with open arms the blessed gifts.  
“May the Fate bless you, oh kind _Anesidora_ ” the maidens continued the hymn.

During the period preceding the first sowing, it was the task of Fantine, the goddess of agriculture and harvest, to give her blessing to the earth, so it would germinate in all its glory.   
Demeter, bringer of life and prosperity to the people who sought her blessing, gave generously her motherly love, mother of nature, mother of the Spring, mother of Life.

“My sweet children of nature, our procession ends. I give you my blessing for the First Sowing. Take the leave and may the Mother Earth bless you all.” Fantine turned softly to her own maidens who knelt on the ground, touching with their lips the cool soil.  
“We thank you, oh merciful _Potnia_ , we humbly accept your gifts, now and ever.”  
“Now and ever.” Fantine replied, smiling tender. 

Fantine was left alone, her servants had gone back to the fields, while singing hymns to the Earth. The goddess smiled gentle, placid sitting on the ground and enjoying the peace.   
The sowing period was a very delicate moment, with no moment of rest: she had to bless the field which promised better, giving blessings to those who had been faithful and had given the needing sacrifices of breads and wheat, cursing instead with a bad harvest those who had not complied with the terms and prayed for her benevolence.

A bitter wind blowed all of sudden, bringer of bad news. Demeter stood up, giving up the possibility of a moment of peace and closing the eyes slightly.  
“Aeolus, my whirling nephew, what news you carry with such a fury?” she asked, feeling the cold and stormy wind between her fingers and on her skin.  
“What..? What…” she whispered, bewildered. The wind, carrier of messages, whispers, words, noises, usually murmured to the wind, now it brought a different message, a cry for help. _Mother!!!_

“…. Persephone..” Fantine opened her eyes pained, insanely rushing to the garden where his son used to spend the time, where she knew he would have been safe, because it could not be otherwise, anything could have been happened.  
"Fate, I beg you, have mercy..." she breather, quickening her pace. If something happened, she would know, she was fully aware of anything approaching the barrier, would be noticed.

"I have to stay calm, it's just a mistake... Jehan's fine... He's fine…" she continued to comfort herself, on the verge of tears. She could feel the ground which welcomed her at every step and urged her to get closer to the destination: why had strayed so much, why she hadn’t brought Jehan with her, why, why, why. 

She kept wondering, unanswered, questions tormenting the mind of a mother plagued by the fear of his son, his only son, the only creature she really loved in such a cruel world that had forgotten the love for the earth, for its fruits and the love for their own children.  
The garden, at the foot of Mount Etna, had remained unchanged, untouched pearl of purity, still fresh due to the presence of the young god of flowers, with its inviting aromas and colours. 

Yet something had changed.

Fantine touched the barrier and it reacted to her presence, inviting her in and giving her a cold and mocking welcome; the goddess narrowed her eyes, holding back tears and staying strong while making her entrance in the garden of Persephone.  
"Fate, have mercy..." she prayed for the last time as she approached the ill tree and place where the painful crime had been committed.   
"Have mercy." were her last words, opening the eyes slowly and looked around.  
The garden was eerily deserted, only a cold wind welcoming the goddess.  
Fantine clasped her hands sorrowful, covering the eyes and catching her breath over and over again.

"Jehan!" she called him once and Aeolus picked her desperate calling, carrying it in all possible places. He had always loved so much that name, it was a name he had chosen specifically because, in his opinion, it sounded poetic. **Enjolras** , the shining god of the arts, sun and light, had taught him poetry and since then it had become a secret passion of her beloved son.

Yet no one answered her call.

"Persephone!!" she called him a second time, in a louder voice, a call for help, for rescue.   
_Succour Persephone, wherever he is, and bring him to me. Help him, do not hurt him, do not scare him. He is such a fragile creature, that child of mine, so unconscious of the dangers of the world._  
The entire world witnessed, unaware, the misfortune of a poor mother. A disgrace was slowly turning itself into a curse to the universe. The people looked out of their windows and watched helpless and scared the slow loss of their harvest, plants losing their leaves and dying, the nature bending to the suffering of a mother. The earth, in all the known lands, became arid and sterile: the plants ending, the fruits falling prematurely.

Yet no one answered. 

Fantine's knees yielded in an extreme strain of pain, collapsing to her knees on the ground, eyes reddened with tears, the face hideously altered into a scream of despair and pain, fingers curled into a stabbing spasm, raised to the sky in the last heartrending cry against the universe, against the cursed fate, against all the gods of heaven and earth, against all those who dared to touch her son, who dared to touch her innocent creature, against those who will dearly pay.

“ _ **KORE!!!**_ ”

###### 

Jehan awoke from his horrible nightmare, a nightmare so vivid it seemed real. Immediately he opened the eyes and sat up on the bed all of sudden, the face bathed in sweat and tousled hair in a messy braid. He rubbed his face, taking a quick breath. He could still feel those cold and dealy hands around his waist and the sensation of the earth, his friend and confident, falling under his own feet while the dead dragged him into the void.

“Good morning, _little bird_. Welcome to your new life” the awful, dangerous and mocking voice of Eponine welcomed him disturbingly cheerish. “And no, little bird, that was not a dream.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> READ AFTER YOU FINISHED THE CHAP u.u  
> Some infos about the chap!  
> The epithets "Anesidora" and "Potnia" are used to define Demeter. Anesidora means "sending up gifts from the earth" and Potnia means "mistress" :)
> 
> Kore is a famous name for Persephone and it means "maiden". Indeed it's quite normal to usually find around the name Kore instead of Persephone!
> 
> I do hope you liked it! :)) the next chapter will be up in few days!  
> Here the wonderful [gifset](http://tveitjolraas.tumblr.com/post/53464772803/fields-of-infernal-flowers-by-fastingorestes-a) made by my adorable wife [laura](http://tveitjolraas.tumblr.com/) <3333  
> if you want to ask me stuff about the fic or others, my tumblr is [fastingorestes](http://fastingorestes.tumblr.com/)!


	5. The Child of Nature

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, so so so sorry for the delay, I had a little writer's block and basically I had no time for writing!  
> But I came back with a very very interesting chapter!  
> the chap is unbetated, sorry for any kind of grammar error!

Jehan remembered that day perfectly, a day he had been waiting for a long time. Demeter was nervous for the whole period, often shutting herself into a meditative silence or staring at her child, Persephone, before sighing, resigned: his mother could snort and complain to him as much she wanted to, she could distract him, persuade him, talk to him, frighten him.

He was firm in his decision: he wanted to visit the Olympus. He was a god like the others, the son of Zeus and Demeter and, as such, he deserved to have access to the House of the Gods as all his brothers and cousins. Otherwise, Demeter was not thrilled, at all, with the decision of him and she kept persuading him in any way that Olympus was not a suitable place, that someone could hurt him, that she couldn’t protect him there etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

"Mother, you are thoughtful and wise and I always listen to your advices with great attention and care. But don’t accuse me of sin of stubbornness: I am not naive, I know the dangers I risk and I’m afraid of them, because the first form of defense is to fear the danger. But you can’t hold me forever in a crystal ball as a precious flower. Flowers need the sun, air, freedom: the wind can break them, water can drown them, the fire can burn them. But the flowers face danger head on, yet afraid, yet intrepid. I’m afraid but my fears and yours won’t stop me. So, please, understand my decision.”

Persephone was true child of the Nature and the Life, Demeter was aware of it. The Nature made him intrepid, the Life gave him courage and strength: the Fate itself couldn’t hold him back. 

“Fine. Let’s go.” Fantine replied, surrended.

###### 

The House of the Gods was not actually like Persephone had painted in his mind: it was great, breathtaking, authoritative; it stood on Mount Olympus, whose summit could embrace the whole Greece. The numerous gods inhabited it, adding an atmosphere of majesty and suffocation due to the large mass of creatures that lived there.

Jehan, for the first time, felt on his shoulders the weight of his decision and his actions but he stood head on: the fear gripped him and yet he clenched his fists and tried to walk a firm step towards the Great Hall.  
A meeting of divinity was to be held that evening and all the major gods were invited to participate: it was his chance to be able to be seen himself as a god, no matter how minor he might be. The room was crowded with a mass deities who had never seen before. Actually, in his whole life, he had just met any gods but his mother Fantine and his father, Zeus.  
His father was nowhere to be seen but it was a costume of the Big Three –the three most important gods in the Olympus, his father Zeus and his uncles Poseidon and Hades- to be the last ones to join them and then begin the meeting. 

"Oh, a new face! You must be the pretty god of flowers everyone is talking about! They told me you were cute but not you were seriously breathtaking. I am the messenger of the Gods and no one informed me of such a matter, I am offended!"  
Jehan turned suddenly to the shrill and full of joy voice which overwhelmed him: a tall and attractive boy with dark curls and an extremely contagious smile greeted him. "I am Hermes, the messenger of the gods, protectors of the thieves and god of boundaries and many other things I can flatter myself and few others which, unfortunately or maybe not, I regret a little of! But everyone just calls me Courfeyrac! If you need something, just call me, Courf is at your service"

“Oh my goodness, Courfeyrac, leave him alone. He has just arrived, if you already jump on him, you will make him run away! We major deities should be an example to newcomers, you know," A second voice behind Hermes replied cheerfully. Beside the god messenger appeared another god, apparently older than Hermes, shorter and bolder, broad shoulders and a thick mass of black curls disheveled confusedly and held together by a crown of vine leaves, the face slightly squared, blue eyes hidden by his locks of hair, a hint of wild beard and just wearing an old tunic stained with wine.  
"Oh Grantaire, you're a killjoy!" Courfeyrac mumbled, pouting childishy.  
"You were annoying my half brother, not me!" The god who seemed to be named Grantaire replied with a smile, blissfully sipping his glass filled with wine.  
"I am your half brother too, for your information" Hermes pointed out.  
"You could say that! Is there a place in Greece where the old man hasn’t planted his seed yet?" Grantaire and Courfeyrac burst out laughing together, leaving the poor 

Jehan in the middle to observe them in total confusion and perplexity.  
“Deeply sorry, we are a bunch of perfect idiots there! We are not usually that rude. I’m Dionysus, the god of wine, grape harvest and madness, but here people is used to call me Grantaire. I know your mother, she always complain Greeks prefer taking care of their precious grapes instead of the wheat and grain. It’s not my fault that wine is more preferable than wheat.” Grantaire giggled, drinking in a swallow the wine, dirtying even more the tunic of wine stains.  
“Haha, yes, I usually know you as ‘damn you Dionysus with your bloody grapes!’, as my mother call you dearly.” Jehan replied with a soft smile “In any case, I’m Persephone, but apparently there is no need for me to introduce myself, you all know me. Anyway, you can call me Jehan.”  
“Good, Jehan! You seem a good lad! You officially belong to our group of morons” Courfeyrac announced proudly, patting happily Jehan’s shoulder.  
“Our duties: sit in a corner, laugh loudly, bother everyone. It’s quite fun!”  
Jehan laughed amused by the group of friends who cheerfully greeted him and tried to befriend him. At least, his Mother was wrong: people were not actually that bad there in the Olympus. Otherwise, it looked like a funny place.

“You two. Have you finished bothering Persephone?” A third voice at Jehan’s back, completely different, more severe and composed, joined the small choir. Courfeyrac stopped as if he had heard the voice of a Titan ready to tear him to pieces while Grantaire reddened, looking down and trying to hide the cup filled with wine.  
"Damn Chronos, you are the sovereign of spoilsports in heaven and earth! We were just trying to make him feel comfortable! It’s not easy if you come along sulking, you curmdgeon!" Courfeyrac sighed, rolling his eyes. Jehan turned curiously back and made eye contact with the most beautiful boy he had ever seen in all the Earth, and Jehan had known many beautiful nymphs. Tall and slim figure, feminine shapes, blue eyes and long eyelashes, face surrounded by a graceful foliage of perfect blond curly hair.  
"I beg your pardon, my colleagues are very rude in their manners, especially when they drink." the beautiful god glanced angered toward Grantaire who seemed to stiffen behind Jehan. "I am Apollo, the god of the Sun and the arts, but now people tend to always call me Enjolras. Call me as you like and let me give you a more appropriate welcome in the Olympus, Persephone."  
"It means that you must call him Enjolras. He hates it when people do and that's quite fun when he stiffens grumpily!" Courfeyrac giggled and Grantaire joined the laughter. Jehan smiled politely, avoiding as best as he could not to burst out laughing with them.  
“I thank you, Apollo, but Courfeyrac and Grantaire were right, they gave me the very perfect welcome!”  
“See it! I already like this one!” Grantaire continued smirking and ruffling Jehan’s hair. “Okay Courf, let’s adopt him as our new pretty pet!”  
“Grantaire!” Enjolras bursted shocked and embarassed for Courfeyrac and Grantaire’s behaviour. Everyone, Jehan including, joined in a long and happy laughter.

Enjolras rolled his eyes in exasperation, rubbing his face. “Be serious, the meeting is yet to begin, Zeus and Poseidon are approaching.”  
Indeed their laughter was interrupted by the noise of the main doors opening, creaking and letting two of the big Three, Valjean and Javert, walk throught along the central nave of the Main Hall, Zeus accompanied by a beautiful woman with long blond hair and a annoyed and haughty expression.  
"Wow, Hera seems happy today!" Grantaire whispered in Courfeyrac’s ear and causing yet another laugh to the messenger God, interrupted in the bud by the glare of Enjolras.  
"Oh, I'd better go. My mother suggested me not to attend the meeting but to wait outside with the others. Thank you immensely for the company, see you the next time."  
"Look, we have you and you can’t escape us, now you're the pet of mine and Grantaire!" Courfeyrac smiled cheerfully, greeting him with Grantaire. Enjolras smiled cordially.

Jehan turned and walked away towards the side door, trying not to interrupt and make any noise: it would have been the last straw to manage to ruin the first meeting which he could participate.  
The side door was hermetically closed, whatever Jehan tried to open it; few people turned to him and glared annoyed to Jehan’s noises.  
“Sorry..” he whispered quite embarassed, looking around for another way out. The main door was still open a little away from him and everyone seemed too focused towards the parade of Zeus and Poseidon to be able to notice a weird boy sneaking away.  
"May the Fate be with me..." Persephone sighed, moving closer to the door and looking around, checking that nobody had noticed him. "I can do it, I can do it..." he kept mutterning, walking quickly towards the door.

"Yes!" he hissed in joy, jumping toward the door and basically colliding against another person about to get in the door. Two white and icy hands practically took him by the wrists, preventing Jehan to fall on the ground for the impact.  
"Damn..." Persephone muttered embarrassed, looking slowly up to the impressive figure before him. He had no features or rather, he kept them hidden; a long black veil covered the head completely, while the rest of the body was wrapped in a heavy black as pitch robe. It was also almost impossible even to distinguish the sex of that mysterious figure: just the arms and hands, very pale as the full moon, were visible.  
Jehan looked into his eyes, or at least he thought to, it was not very easy to be able to untangle any traits only through the black veil, and he blinked twice, intrigued.

"Oh, right, I apologize, my fault." Jehan smiled sheepishly and bowed. He did not know if it was used to bow or not. The figure did even not answer. Jehan stood up then, even more embarrassed and slunk away as fast as he could, because of the embarrassment of yet a more bad figure than fear. He could still feel behind him the black figure turning and staring at him.

 

“Oh yes, nothing happened after I left. I just crashed against a weird guy.” Jehan and Courfeyrac were talking few days later together in Jehan’s garden about the meeting.  
“A weird? Who he was?” Courfeyrac asked, bowing an eyebrown.  
“I don’t know… He was quite strange. He just wore this huge black veil on his head and I couldn’t even understand who he was! I told him I apologize but he said any word. Quite weird.” Jehan commented, shrugging.  
“…. Wow. I think my respect for you has just grown to the highest level.” Courfeyrac replied, looking at him amazed.  
“What do you mean?”  
“Well, nothing important… You just crashed against Hades. And it doesn’t usually happen.”  
Jehan stared at him for a moment, trying to elaborate his comment. “Is that bad?” he asked at the end, slightly worried.  
“Nah. That stick in the ass deserves to be shaken up a bit.”

###### 

Good times. When he was happy, he had friends, he enjoyed the warmth of the sun, the smell of his flowers and the company of Courfeyrac, Grantaire and many other friends. When he wasn’t alone and afraid. Very good times. Every moment those happy memories went back to his mind, the first one was always that encounter with his now newly wedded husband.  
A long time had passed since that stupid accident at the Olympus. Jehan often woke up in the night sweating, dreaming about the fateful evening when Montparnasse had noticed Jehan for the first time; as it actually mattered to him right now. The damage was done.  
It had been days, weeks, months, years after the dreadful abduction, or Rape as it was called now in the Underworld. The Rape of Persephone. 

He was not sure himself about the actual time spent. Time passed very differently in the Underworld than the Earth. Eponine had told him once he had passed only twenty minutes but he had learned, in the first moment of his arrival in the Underworld, that the first rule was: never trust Eponine. However, he had concluded that 9 were the days passed. 9 days of Hell. 9 days of captivity. 9 days as the consort of the god of the Underworld.  
Jehan had become the ghost of himself.  
The blood was drained away from his soft and snow-white cheeks, the skin had been graying slightly, his long dark blond hair had turned off completely, turning into a pale shade of gray. The eyes as green as the grass which he liked to walk barefoot on had become dark and lifeless, two dark bags under the eyes remaining.

Yet he fought.

Too bad that the torments did not seem to end. Eponine had spotted him as her new favorite prey, and she called herself as her /lady companion/, accompanying him always and everywhere, and often without giving him a moment of peace and meditation.  
“A proper queen needs a proper companion” Eponine always recalled laughing.  
“I’m yet to find a proper companion.” Jehan always replied, looking in the void, inexpressive.  
Besides Eponine, Jehan never saw anyone else, not even Hades himself, his consort. Especially Hades. At first, he was so terrified of even pronounce his name that he had stopped talking for a couple of days, closing his eyes and holding back tears, waiting to wake up from the horrible nightmare. Hades, in any case, had never appeared after the kidnapping and had never presented or approached him. Persephone had his own private room where no one could enter, except for Eris who always did what she wanted. For the rest of the time, Jehan could get out, walk through the Underworld, go wherever he wanted to go, except escape from it, of course. And always wearing a long black veil: apparently only few people could see the god of the Underworld in his face and Hades always went out covered by the dark veil, although it was not a mandatory law.  
And so it had to be for the Queen of the Underworld: no one was to see Jehan’s face.  
Often Underworld’s residents could notice an unfortunate and sad figure face covered walking through the dark and gloomy corridors of the Underworld, often accompanied by the saddest figure of Eris.

“Rise and shine, my Queen! Today is a great day!” Eponine appeared, like every morning, at the bedchamber of Jehan, smiling as if the birds were singing outside the window, as if the sun was shining on their faces, as if someone as Eponine really knew what happiness was.  
Jehan had barely slept, his eyes were getting tired and heavy. He had not eaten and barely slept since he had arrived in the Underworld: he had not dared to touch the food of the Underworld. He turned on the bed, looking at the wall, blankly.  
"Leave me alone, Eris."  
“I wish I could, sweetheart, but not today. Today you must attend your first meeting as a Queen.” That made Persephone sit on the bed all of sudden, staring at Eris incredulously.  
“What are you talking about? What meeting?!” Jehan asked warily, cletching the sheets worried. “What. Meeting.”  
“Oh, have I not talked you about?” A huge and amused smirk arised on her pale face. “Today you will meet all the gods who live in the Underworld. They press to meet their beloved Queen. Hades insisted to let you stay and get used of your new home a little longer, but you know how the gods in the Underworld are! They are not patient at all!” Eponine laughed blissfully, shoving back her long brown hair and smirking joyfully.  
Other gods. Other miserable creatures living in that place forgotten by the Gods yet ruled by the worst of all of them. And Jehan was about to meet all of them.  
He gulped and let a tired sigh, sliding off the bed slowly, reaching for his private bathroom.  
“Fine, I will meet these gods of yours. As if I had another choice.”  
“Good boy!” Eponine replied happily. “I’ll wait outside, don’t make them await. They are impatient fellows!”

Jehan entered the royal hall accompanied by his trusty companion, wearing a heavy black robe that covered the body completely and left the arms partially free, otherwise the head, face and hair were covered by the long black veil which prevented anyone from being able to distinguish the features of the face of the god of flowers. Eponine smiled, accompanying the young queen to the two thrones at the end of the hall. Jehan kept his eyes down, close the hand firmly on the wrist of Eris, every limb of his body trembling with fear: he did not see Hades from 9 days and even just the thought of being in the same room with him terrified him. He narrowed the eyes firmly, trying to hold back tears of fear.  
 _I have to stay calm, I have to stay calm, I can not afford to collapse now, I have to resist. My mother is coming to my rescue, I know._  
He kept telling himself in the head like a mantra, praying that this were true, praying that whatever, whoever, came to his rescue. He whispered the name of his mother, of Courfeyrac, of Grantaire, of Enjolras, sometimes of his own father, praying that someone would hear, that someone could save him.  
9 days and no one had responded to his request for help.

Jehan kept his eyes down as Eponine accompanied him to the throne and sat him down slowly, like a fragile doll about to break. He could feel the dark and silent presence beside him, staring at him, of Montparnasse, Hades, her husband, her uncle, _him_.  
He heard many people mutter in front of him but Jehan did not dare to raise his head, still holding the hem of tunic nervously and holding the limbs with the other hand, so it was the tremor that gripped him.

"Well, now that Persephone is here, we can start the meeting." a deep voice of young man, who had never heard before, sounded beside him. He raised just the look, noting Montparnasse, who had risen to his feet, still dressed in the black robe and the heavy dark veil as he continued to speak.  
"Introduce yourself and then go back to your work. I've given you too much already enlarging this useless meeting, do not waste time."  
Jehan did not expect that kind of voice: it was low, deep and severe, yet young and extremely calm, sounding annoyed due to the situation. This just made him curious of, especially of his true face.  
Hades turned to him, or so it seemed, as the head turned in his direction and Jehan turned to look toward his own hands, feeling again the intense gaze of the King of the Underworld on himself.

"Your Grace, it is an honor to be able to give you the welcome to the world of the dead. We wish you a prolific collaboration." The first man to appear was a middle-aged man, short, graying hair and a gray beard perfectly trimmed. His eyes, however, penetrated him into the members, almost desiring to examine every hidden thought and making him feel deeply uncomfortable. "My name is Minos, judge of souls and with me I present you two colleagues of mine, Rhadamanthus and Aeacus; we have been chosen by Her Majesty, Hades, as judges for all those who, at the end of their miserable life, come to this wasteland." The other two figures bowed along with Minos and Jehan could see them with more accuracy. In the right stood the first one, Rhadamanthus, taller and slightly younger of the two, dark hair and a deep and wise expression on his face. Aeacus instead seemed to be the same age of Minos, the lower of the two, thick white beard and a curious smile on his face. The three bowed again and Hades gave way to the people to follow. For now seemed to go pretty well.

Following the three judges, appeared three extremely old women. They were identical, to say the least, the skin of their faces had become gray and wrinkled and almost impossible to see through the lip line wrinkles that marked their faces. In their hand they held a long thread which they seemed to weave without stopping, touching and stroking with care, while their eyes as white as snow peering at the figure of the queen of the underworld.

Moire.

Jehan knew who he was dealing with and that terrified him: they were the guardians of the fate of humans and the gods themselves. Everyone feared them, Zeus himself did not want to have to deal with the three sisters of Fate, so that Zeus had made sure that they lived in the Underworld, as far as possible from Olympus.  
"Oh, the thread speaks and we listen and we can not stop it, no one can, no one can." the three old began to recite in chorus, the voices low and crackling. "On the tenth day. Tenth day. Everything will change on the tenth day. And you'll end up in a cage even tighter and there you shall die. And there you will regret. Because remorse is the sentence to which everybody is condemned to live, especially you, little Queen. "  
Jehan looked at them transfixed, watching without knowing how to respond. Hades himself seemed to stiffen next to him at those words and again stood up from his throne.  
"Well, Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos, you can go." Hades said again, while the three women left without bowing, continuing to weave the thread and to observe Persephone with their glassy eyes.

Jehan breathed a sigh of relief thank to that intervention and he held his chest, above the heart, with his hand, trying to calm himself as he could. The situation did not like it at all. The only person who seemed to take great pleasure from that situation was Eponine, who continued to giggle in a corner, smiling extremely pleased.  
"So. Who the hell is next." Hades went on more and more annoyed with everything.  
"Us, Your Majesty. Us." The voice of Hell. Jehan, at that moment, swore he heard the voices of the underworld, the lure of the Titans, the voices of hatred, death, fear, all in the same voice. Jehan barely blinked for fear when a group of ten creatures, among the most frightening he had ever seen, all of sudden surrounded the small throne where Persephone was sitting. Women, or what remained of them. Or what they were or what they have never been. Crows, demons, titans, monsters. Horrible creatures of death and bloodthirsty. Female face, eyes as red as the blood that they were seeking, black face like leather, ash hair, claws and fangs ready to bite and kill and long black wings which departed from their back and stretched impressive. Along those demons shouted the war, sniffing Jehan, surrounding him, ready to tear him to pieces.

Erinyes.

Jehan felt his own body on the verge of passing out or die of fright. He had never felt fear, but he had never felt such fear, the fear of being exposed to the danger, undefended. He never knew what it was the fear of death until that moment.  
“Such a pretty creature, so sweet, so lonely.” They spoke in chorus but seemed to speak the same voice, the most horrible voice that Persephone had ever heard in his life. "You know who we are and we know what we can do. We are those who beneath the earth punish whosoever has sworn a false oath. Fear us because we will hunt you until the end of the Earth. We hunted Orestes, we will hunt you too.”  
In the same manner they had appeared, so the Erynies disappeared, in the blink of an eye. Jehan stood motionless, staring into the void, face streaked with tears and fear, his lips parted in a silent scream of fear. He did not even notice the last two people who came to make their obeisance. At that point he just wanted to die, let himself go and give up his limbs in the river Styx, forever.

He closed his eyes slightly, slowly taking breath as he could hear, like a natural appeal, the laughter of Eponine in conjunction with another person, Hecate, perhaps, no longer knew who were the ones who had been introduced to her. Their laughter, their shrill voices who continued to tease the poor creature who no longer had anything in his life to hang himself, who was left alone, abandoned even by his own mother. He opened his eyes and could see before him the real mother, Nature, the one who always protected him, smiling at him anyway.  
"Mother, let me die." Jehan just whispered, his face lost in the void, as his words.  
 _Dying? You must rise again, Persephone. So far you've been living like a dead creature, now you have to be reborn. You are surrounded by death but you're life itself. Arise, Persephone. Rise. Resurface darkness as Spring breaks that death and rises with its flowers. Rise. Rise._

Yet people kept laughing. They kept mocking the poor little Queen, poor little Persephone, poor little creature who had no place, no friends and neither Hades’ love.

And so he arose.  
“ENOUGH!” His voice was like a cry in the night that could wake the dead themselves. Everyone fell silent, shocked and turned his gaze toward the creature emerged from the ashes of the frightened Persephone, who died and risen from the ashes like a phoenix.  
"I said, enough."  
Jehan stood up, tearing the veil that covered his face and knocking it down, furious. His eyes shone like fire, the green of nature, plants he loved, the life-blood flowed in his body and gave him new life.  
"You're making fun of me and yet you call me Queen. I am not your Queen, so do not act like I’m a fool. I'm not who you call. I am Persephone, I am the child of Nature and I will accept such disrespect towards me no more. You don’t need to bow down to me, because I am not your queen nor want to be. But do not you dare laugh anymore at my back as if I were a poor, helpless creature. 'Cause I'm not afraid of you. "  
The crowd was in total silence, without uttering any sound.

Jehan turned to Hades, staring at him contemptuously and without fear.  
"You can keep this damned veil, Uncle. I'm not your wife, I do not need it." and said that he turned and walked away from the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it! :) Kudos, comments, whatever are always accepted! <3  
> if you need to ask me everything you want or need, my tumblr is [fastingorestes](http://fastingorestes.tumblr.com/)!


	6. The Tenth Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I APOLOGIZE SO MUCH FOR THE LONG WAIT ;_____;  
> I've had a long writer block and I couldn't write anything but now I feel better, I'm working on the Nanowrimo too (yeah, pretty much) so a lot of chapters will come, I promise!! :D thank you again and I'm sorry!! Reviews and kudos are very much welcomed!  
> (PS: still unbeta'd chapter, sorry for any gramma error!)

Jehan stormed into his own chamber and collapsed tired, arms splayed on the large wooded bed, sighing tiredly and accepting open-armed his fate.   
Let’s be honest, Jehan had pretty much messed up everything. He had freaked out, thrown away his sacred veil and yelled to the most dangerous and feared god in the Olympus.   
Busy day in the Underworld.   
Persephone sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his tired, pale and wrecked face, letting out a distressed groan: he could try, he knew he could try on being just a bit more… friendly?   
No, impossible.   
His uncle kidnapped him and forced him into a marriage, he condemned him to a life without the light of the sun, without the soft morning breeze when he woke up in the middle of his garden, a life condemned in darkness and death. Hades didn’t deserve any kind of friendly treatment. Had he kidnapped him? Perfect, he was ready on giving him so many troubles. Probably, some day, Hades would get tired of him and, who knew, free him?  
Persephone clutched to himself, breathing hard and hoping. Hope was the only thing he could hold himself.  
And his mother. His mother would find him.   
“Your thoughts are very noisy, did you know?” a voice commented all of sudden, the same, fastidious, bitter and mischevous voice which kept torturing Jehan since he had set foot in the Underworld.  
“Eponine, next time you come into my bedchamber uninvited…” Jehan threatened her, gritting his teeth while he turned to face the goddess of Chaos. She raised her arms, biting back a laughter.   
“I come in peace, calm yourself!” Eponine approached slowly towards Jehan, wearing a long and fancy black-pitched tunic, similar to Hades’ one, Jehan thought.   
“I must confess, I’m very impressed and it’s not that easy to catch my attention. But what you did with the other Gods… Brilliant. I kept wondering what Montparnasse saw in you but now… Now, I understand. Under those smiles and dignity and softness and cuteness, you are quite an interesting thing, Persephone. I understimated you.”   
Jehan raised an eyebrown slightly, aback by her unexpected compliments. “Thank… you?” he replied, waryly.   
“Don’t thank me. I came here because Montparnasse wants to see you.”  
Oh. He should have known. Obviously Hades wanted to see him, of course. After those compliments, there was a very well hidden trap.   
“What does he want?” Jehan asked cautiously, slowly standing up.  
Eponine shrugged. “He didn’t say. But don’t worry, nothing serious.” Liar. Jehan had learned how to read her blatant lies. Jehan twitched his jaw and folded the arms on his chest. “Fine.” He let out a sigh. “Bring me to him.”

###### 

The arid ground cracked beneath her feet, the stench of dead animals and the whimpers of starving and dying people surrounded her. She walked slowly, clutching a dirty and torn robe, her hair muddy in the wind, pale and restless face, fierce and wild eyes. Men and children turned to her and begger for mercy, begged for food, for peace but she had no care of human beings. She had no care of anyone. She had no pity, no mercy, no love.   
The woman reached slowly the top of a hill and stared intently the dawn of the tenth day. 

Ten day had passed, walking tiredless around the world. Ten day since Demeter had lost her only son. Since the disappearing, she had never stopped her seach, looking in every place, every cave, every possible place where Persephone would have been kept hidden. Ten days and still no sign of him.   
But everyone could witness the consequences of her rage: the goddess screamed her curse, condemning every human being to suffer her fury. No food, no wheat, no fertile soil, no fruit of her blessing.   
The animals were the first to fall and very soon children and eldest men perished under the curse; after ten days, few were the men and women who still survived. Another week or more and the life on Earth would extinguish itself.   
Fantine turned away from the sun, shutting her eyes tight and holding back a bitter sob, giving strenght to herself. Jehan would be anywhere, away from his beloved mother, kept hidden by some cruel and vicious creature who would pay very soon for their atrocious sin.   
“Just keep going. Your child is awaiting for you.” Fantine murmured to herself, breathing heavily before turning again to face the dawn. 

She walked throught a region so far away from Greece, in the northern lands where her own power was weakened. Could he be hidden there? In a place where any God had found place? Where only the gods in the north ruled and had no simpathy for soft gods who lived in the Mediterranean.   
“Demeter! Demeter, finally!” A voice thrilled in ancient Greek, a voice she would ever expected to hear so far away from home.  
“Hermes… Dionysus..” Fantine stared confused when she saw the two gods behind her.   
“What are you doing here?” the goddess asked, a glimpse of hope glowing inside her. Hermes and Dionysus were close friends of her son and she knew they were helping her to find Persephone. She tightened the grip on her robe to herself, staring in silence the two deities and waiting for them to explain.  
“We have found someone who might know where Jehan is!” Demeter had not noticed yet the creature half-hidden behind Hermes’s figure. Dionysus grabbed the nymph’s arm and together they urged the young nymph forward, squealing and sobbing.   
She recognized her, she was one of the nymphs who kept company Persephone in the garden. Minthe.  
“Talk.” Dionysus ordered furiously, staring at the nymph who cried out and held her head like it was going to explode. Fantine never understimated the power of madness which Grantaire could be able to bow and control people’s mind. The Bacchantes were a proof of his power.  
“I beg you, please, stop…” the nymph cried out once more before breathing again, letting out a relieved sigh and looking slowly up to the goddess who was staring at her impatiently. “Milady…”  
“Speak!” Hermes tuoned again and the nymph sobbed and clutched herself feared.  
“I... I know where… where Persephone is…” the nymph murmured again, staring scared the ground. “Well… No, not exactly… But I know… I know who took her…” he murmured between the sobs. “Lady Eris…”  
 _Eris?_ This was not going good. At all. What Eris had to do with a minor god, now? Grantaire and Courfeyrac looked at each other, swallowing and chewing the lip nervously. They shared her same worried thought: whatever Eponine might have to do with them, it was any good. She was dangerous, extremely dangerous and defeating her… It was impossible. Still it had no sense, what she would ever want from a god of flowers?   
“Keep going.” Fantine nodded, encouraging to continue the explanation. The nymph swallowed and tried to catch the breath, before speaking.   
“Lady Eris… She asked me to help her..” the young girl noticed that her words would be mistaken and hurried to clarify. “I-I mean! She—she forced me to do whatever she asked me! She wanted to poison the sacred tree…” the girl continued.  
That made sense to Demeter. When she had reached the garden where Jehan had been kidnapped, the sacred tree was poisoned and the barrer who protected the garden compromised. Only a goddess so clever and cunning as Eris could think of poisoning a tree for her own goals. Cunning and fearsome.   
“What does Eponine want from Jehan, now?” Dionysus muttered perplexed, stroking his lips with a thumb, absentmindedly.   
“Could she have known about the curse Demeter had set on the Earth?” Courfeyrac replied to the god of wine.  
“No, no, it still makes no sense…” Grantaire continued, shaking his head slightly.  
“N-no…” the faint voice of the nymph murmured again, looking pleading towards Fantine. “Lady Eris was not… I witnessed the kidnapping. She just poisoned the tree… Then… Then…” the nymph’s eyes widened all of sudden, turning pale as he had just seen a ghost in front of her eyes. “Then I saw… It was… Horrible…” the nymph murmured, feeling the tears building up on her eyes and gulping the fear which was visibly eating her inside.   
“What did you see..?” Fantine didn’t like this sensation. Anything of this. She was fearing for the worst, she felt she had already lost her son but she couldn’t give up now, not now, when she had found the first and most concrete trace of his disappearing. “Speak, child, tell us what you have seen..”  
“I saw the death.” The nymph let out a terrified breath, closing her eyes tight and pushing away the sensation she had felt that moment, when everything went dark and scaring. “He was dark, tall… Everything went cold and I could smell the death. My mind was filled with the fear of death, I felt like ghosts were trying to grasp my ankle and drag me to the Underworld… I saw the Underworld in just a figure. He appeared in front of Persephone…. He screamed but the figure took him and… and… The ground… The ground opened itself and… Persephone was dragged into the void with the figure…. He was dragged under ground.”  
Fantine strangled a sob, cupping her mouth and closing her eyes, a hand grasping her muddy hair while she sobbed furiously and scared. Courfeyrac went white and Grantaire clenched his fists, trying not to scream angry. 

Together the three gods shared the same, horrific thought, a thought Demeter tried as much as possible to put aside, because… Because it was not possible, not her only child, her wonderful son, so beautiful, so innocent and pure, a child she tried so hard to protect. That thought now had took form in front of them, a frightening form which every human being feared, a figure anyone dared to whisper the name.   
And now every piece of the puzzle found its own place, everything happened before the abduction had sense. She had been so blind in front of everything because it was absurd, impossible. Until now, anything made sense but now everything was clear. The meeting with Zeus, the glances, the secrets, everything.  
That thought she had kept quiet inside her became real. And the name of the man who dared ripping away a piece of her own heart.  
Her older brother.

**Hades.**

###### 

Jehan stood in the middle of Hades’s chamber quietly, stratching uneasy the back of his neck and glancing around. He was alone, Hades was still nowhere to be seen. Probably murdering someone, making sacrifices, punching a wall, angry. At this point, everything could be possible.   
“Okay…” Jehan looked around, getting bored after few minutes. He had spent too many days doing nothing, in a psychological coma like a dead plant and now he couldn’t keep himself still.   
The chamber was quite small, much more smaller than Persephone’s one, he noticed, and almost empty. There were no bed, basically no wardrobe, any object. Just a couple of chairs, a large table and a large shelf full of documents and maps.   
Persephone chewed his lip, glancing at the door, still closed, for a second. He walked quickly towards the shelf, took the first document and unrolled it curiously on the table. Records. Records everywhere about how many dead people lived there, how many residents in the Elysum and how many in the Tartarus. List of people who applied for the reincarnation.   
“May I know what you are doing?” Hades’s voice vibrated in the room, making Jehan jump scared for a moment.  
“I’m sorry, I—“ Jehan looked up and froze, turning pale. That was… Unexpected. A man, a very tall and handsome man stood in front of him. He looked young and old at the same time, a pale white complexion, sharp cheekbones, rose lips painted on it, black-pitched and thick hair and even darker eyes. 

Those eyes…  
Jehan swore he could see the depth of the Underworld and the death itself in those black eyes. Yet those eyes, surrounded by such a bright and young features, were in contraction. They were old, older than his mother, older than his father Zeus. They were eyes of someone who had witnessed his own father eating him up, swallowing him with the rest of his brothers for first, who had feared and who had spent so long time inside him, victim of the fury of Kronos.   
Jehan couldn’t bear to look into his eyes, it was too much. He looked down, dry mouthed and gripping tight and scared the edge of the table, taking a long breathe.   
“I am sorry. I always try not to show myself without the veil.” Such a pity because, despite for those eyes, under the dark veil, there was hidden a quite visibly pleasant vision.   
Jehan shook his head and forced himself to smile, trying to look up, his eyes focusing on the black chiton Hades was wearing.   
“Why did you want to see me?” Jehan’s voice sounded sharper than he actually intended to.   
Hades sighed softly and walked towards the table, taking slowly the record and slowly rolling it back again. Jehan could feel the cold sensation of his presence while he walked beside him, putting back the paper on the shelves.   
“Listen, if you are angry about what happened before…” Jehan continued but he let drop the argument: the last thing he wanted was to argue. Hades, without veil… Persephone could barely look at him. Arguing seemed impossible.   
He was almost sure it was a trick of him, some trick of the Underworld.   
“You were right before. I treated you badly, extremely badly and I apologize.” Hades continued, observing for a longer moment in front of the shelves, staring at the documents.  
“Does it mean… That will you let me go?” Jehan wondered hopefully, letting slip out a victorious grin.   
“No. You won’t leave. We are married.”   
Jehan was asking too much, again. He closed his eyes and sighed exasperated, turning now to face Montparnasse, staring intently at his back, inexpressive.  
“What do you want, then? I’m not asking what do you want from me, because I wasted my breath enough about that argument. But what do you want, what are you planning to do? I think you are aware that Demeter will find you quite soon and then… Well, then I’ll leave. Why don’t you just leave me now and let avoid a war between gods? You have enough problems here, let alone the fact that you have to bear Eris basically every day and well… I almost pity you.” Jehan continued, staring again to his back. Hades turned to him, listening to his words. Persephone looked up and met again his gaze, but now he felt no fear. He could feel the wonderful sensation, when he stood proudly and he had faced everyone.   
Yet Hades didn’t reply, breaking the eye contact and looking away. A rush of pride ran into Jehan’s vein and he couldn’t hold back a smirk.  
“I want you to see the Underworld, tomorrow.” Hades began quietly, almost tentatively. “You are ruler of the Underworld, along with me, now. You should at least visit it properly.”  
Jehan could feel his arms fall on the ground, staring at him exasperated.  
“Who told you I want to be ruler of the /Underworld/? Did you hear a single word of what I have said? Let. Me. Go. HOME.” Jehan continued, feeling the anger building inside him.   
“I heard every single word but there is nothing Demeter and you could do. I made a deal with Zeus.”  
“Zeus?” Persephone sounded hysterical. “You. Made. A deal. With my father?? Just because you and my father are the bosses, it doesn’t mean you have right to say who I should marry! You have no right, neither my father.”  
“I can’t.” Hades continued calmly, breathing slowly. “Jehan..”  
“Don’t call me Jehan!” the younger god replied, gritting his teeth and cletching his fists, feeling the urge of hitting him in the face.  
Hades pursued his lips and stared at the other one for a second, his unnerving pose still unbroken.   
“ _Persephone._ ” Montparnasse resumed once more. His name, whispered by Hades, sounded weirdly and gave him an uncomfortable shiver on his back. “I’ve been avoiding you for these days. At the contrary of your common belief, I’m not inclined into committing abduction towards my own nieces. You have been an expection because…” Hades licked his lips and looked away again. “Reasons.”   
Reasons. Amazing. He had been abducted because of reasons. That explained everything.   
“Facing what I have done to you tortured me and I couldn’t afford to talk to you. When I saw you before… Well, it gave me hope to try again.” Hades continued, glancing up to him. “Tomorrow, I want you to visit the Underworld, with me. I want to show you the Elysium.”   
Jehan couldn’t say how, but he felt in those words all the effort Montparnasse was putting into talking to him. He could see how he was difficult facing him. Jehan had no idea and he didn’t understand how it was possible to have such an influence and ascendancy on, well, the King of the Underworld.   
Persephone looked around, uneasy, avoiding again his gaze, stratching again his neck and hair.   
“Fine, I suppose…. You seem to have such a care on showing me the Elysium, so, mh… Fine.”  
Hades looked at him and for just a second, he swore he had seen his eyes glowing happily in that face made of marble. Weird. 

“Sorry for interrupting such a lovely scene.” Eponine’s voice giggled, appearing between Montparnasse and Jehan. Hades stared at the goddess of Chaos and growled annoyed by the interruption.   
“What, now?” he gritted, nervously.  
“Calm yourself, grumpy.” Eponine patted Montparnasse’s cheek and grinned amused. Jehan stared at the scene, folding the arms on his chest, uncomfortable by the intimancy and closeness between the two gods.   
“I bring you bad news.” Eponine continued, her smile shining happily, like the most wonderful of the events had happened. “You have visit.”  
“I have always visits. We are in the Underworld.” Montparnasse rolled his eyes. “Who is it?”  
“Oh, someone of no importance.” Lies. Lies, lies, lies beyond lies. How Montparnasse couldn’t see the lies beyond her words? Eris turned slightly to look at Persephone and smirked to him in total amusement. Jehan had a very bad feeling right now.  
“It’s **Demeter**.” Eponine commented after a second, laughing like a crazy, completely excited. “Oops, apparently they have found you out, Hades!”


End file.
